System of automatic control of vessels



BEST AVAILABLE COPY y 31, 1932- J. H HAMMOND, JR 1,861,215

SYSTEM OF AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF VESSELS Filed May 24, 1930 45 D with the intake port Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SYSTEM OF AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF VESSELS Application filed may 24,

My-invention relates to systems for automatically controlling the movement of vessels, and relates more particularly to methods and apparatus for automatically stleering torpedoes, submarine vessels and the li (e.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a battleship and the path of a torpedo as the latter crosses and recrosses the wake of the battleship;

Fig. 2 shows a plan view, partly diagrammatic, of some of the apparatus on a torpedo or similar it; and I Fig. 3 shows a side elevation, partly diagrammatic of some of the apparatus on a torpedo or similar vessel for automatically steering it.

In Fig. 1, B is a battleship; W is thewake of the battleship; A, A, A A and A are successive positions of an attacking torpedo. If this torpedo, on being discharged toward the battleship, fails to hit it directly, but enters its wake at A, the automatic steering apparatus of the torpedo, as will be hereinafter described, causes the torpedo to take the course indicated by the dotted line to A where it hascrossed the wake and now reenters it from the opposite side. The automatic steerin apparatus will now cause the torpedo to ta e the course indicated by the dotted line from A to A In like manner the torpedo will cross and recross the wake of the battleship, continually approaching the In Figs. 2 and 3, S is the upper part of the skin or hull plating of the torpedo; F'is a fin or vane on the outside of the torpedo, which, at its forward end, is attached to a vertical shaft G. The shaft G is attached, at its lower end to a valve I coaxial with the shaft G and arranged in a cylindrical valve casing V. A tank T contains compressed air or other suitable fluid, and is connected by a pipe K of the valve I.

vessel for automatically steeringlatter until it finally strikes it, as shown at A.

1930. Serial No. 455,187.

The pipes M and M, can be placed in communication, one at a time, with tank T by means of port K, and they lead from valve I to the cylinders C and C, respectively. The

exhaust pipe E is connected with the ,exhaust port L of the valve 1. The pipes N and N, one at a time, can be placed in communication with the exhaust port L, and they lead from the valve I to the cylinders C and C, respectively. The pistons P and P travel back and forth in the cylinders C and C, respectively, and are both attached to the piston rod Q. Piston rod Q is connected with the helm H, as shown, and helm H is attached to the rudder R. O and O are openings in cylinders C and C, respectively, allowing free movement of air into and out of the rod ends of said cylinders.

When the torpedo enters the wake of a ship, as at A, in Fig. l, the flow of the water in the wake will cause the fin F to turn to starboard. This will cause the valve I to turn so that pipe M is placed in communication with tank '1, through pipe D, and so that pipe N is placed in communication with exhaust pipe E. The ports Kand L are so proportioned that communication is established between N and E a little earlier than between M and D. At the same time the pipes M and N will remain closed. In this position of valve I, the compressed air or other fluid will flow from tank T through pipe M into the port end of cylinder C, and the starboard end of cylinder C will be free to exhaust through pipes N and E. Pistons P so and P and piston rod Q will therefore all move to starboard, helm Hv-will be put to starboard, and rudder R will turn to port. The torpedo will therefore turn to port, as shown by the dotted line from A to A.

When the torpedo passes out of the wake IV, the fin F will return to its normal position amidships, and the valve I'will likewise turn to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, where pipes M, M N'and N are all close As the port end of cylinder C is now filled with compressed air, or other fluid, which cannot escape, the pistons I and P will remain in their starboard positions, the helm II will also be held to starboard, and the torpedo will continue turning to port until it re enters the wake at A. Then the fin F will be turned to port by the flow of water, pipe N will be opened. allowing the fluid in cylinder C to exhaust through pipes N and E, and a little later pipe M will be opened, allowing fluid to pass from tank '1 through pipes D and M into the starboard end ofcylinder C. Pistons I and P, piston rod Q and helm H will all move to port and rudder R will turn to starboard. The torpedo will therefore turn to starboard, and will continue turning to starboard after it has passed through the Wake IV and the fin F has returned to its amidships position, so thatit will reenter the wake W at A when the fin F will be turned to starboard, and the cycle of movements will be repeated, the torpedo always approaching nearer to the battleship until it finally strikes the latter, as at A I may use other forms of valves and of the other apparatus shown and 'describedherein for operating the valve, provided the valve is controlled through the action of a current transverse to the course of the vessel, and instead of pneumatic or other fluid operated mechanisms, I may employ electric or eleetro-magnetic apparatus; and I do not coneratively connected to said piston rods, said cylinders each having. an inlet and an exhaust passage, and the control valve operated by said vane and arranged to control said inlet and exhaust passages and to open the exhaust passage of either cylinder slightly in advance of the opening of the inlet passage in the other cylinder.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR.

fine the use of my invention to torpedoes or submarine vessels, but may employ it on any vessels and also on air craft; and in general I do not confine myself to the particular construction here shown, but changes and modifications, within the knowledge of those skilled in the art may be made in the construction shown and described herein. without departing from the spirit of my invention, provided the means set forth in the following claims be employed.

What is claimed is: I 1. The combination with a dirigible body, of means for controlling. the movement of said body, including a pair of opposed cylinders, a piston in each of said cylinders apiston rod connecting said pistons, a rudder actuated by said piston rod for changing the position of said body, and a valve arranged to control an inlet and exhaust passage provided in each of said cylinders and to open the exhaust passage of either cylinder slightly in advance of the opening of llw inlet passage into the other cylinder.

2. The combinationwith adirigible body arranged to be supported in a natural medium. of a rudder for steering said body, a vane positioned on the exterior of said body and rotatable with respect thereto, a piston rod for actuating said rudder to change the course of said body. a pair of opposed cylinders, a piston in each of said cylinders op- 

